Method and apparatus for the continuous looping of yarn

ABSTRACT

A fixed base plate provided with a circular recess accommodates a rotating disk. Mounted above the base plate and the rotating disk, is an endless band conveyor swivellable about the axis of the roller in the area of the edge of the base plate. The rotating disk is fitted with a channel through which the yarn is guided from below into the space between the disk and the lower run of the band conveyor in which loops are formed and moved toward the edge of the base plate. Arranged at the edge of the base plate, below the conveyor, is a belt, receiving the loops. The drives of the band conveyor and the belt conveyor form a single unit.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an apparatus for the production anddelivery of a continuous stream of yarn loops.

In the early stages of the manufacture of yarn, the yarn may be treatedin several ways which require the yarn to be fed in a series ofuntensioned loops, as for example, to a steam chamber for stabilization.A device for looping yarn is known from the German unexamined patentspecification OS No. 3 114 535. In this known device, the yarn is woundby a rotating lapping wing on a coil former and transferred by thelatter to a band conveyor. The axis of the coil former runs verticallyto the axis of rotation of the lapping wing and to the running directionof the band conveyor. The coil former itself is formed of two circulardisks spaced apart on this axis. Arranged on the circumference of thesedisks are adhesion surfaces on which the yarn is placed by means of thelapping wing. To produce yarn loops, the coil former is rotated aboutits axis, while the lapping wing rotates simultaneously thereabout. Theyarn carried along by the lapping wing is hereby laid continuously loopby loop on the jacket of the coil former about its axis, these loops areturned by about 90 degrees and then deposited by a stripping device onthe band conveyor, providing a continuous series of yarn loops. As aresult of the turning of the loops on the coil former, the loopsproduced first in this loop band lie in front and on top.

To start this device, the end of the yarn must be held fast until somany loops have been formed on the coil former, that they act to clampeach other on the coil former. This holding of the beginning of the yarnis usually done by hand, causing considerable difficulty in machinesequipped with several such devices arranged next to each other. Thebeginning of the yarn can also be clamped by mechanical means andreleased after a certain period which, however, would make theconstruction of the machine expensive and prone to disruptions. Anadditional disadvantage is that the yarn is tensioned and stretched as aresult of the lapping process on the coil former.

The present invention has as its object, the task of producing a devicewherein starting of the loop forming is a simple and automaticoperation, and wherein the yarn is laid out in loops without beingstretched, and specifically in such a way that it can be removedupwardly from the band conveyor, and wherein the device is of simpleconstruction.

These objects, as well as other objects, will be apparent from thefollowing disclosure of the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention, apparatus for the continuouslooping of yarn and the supply of such looped yarn is providedcomprising a fixed base plate having an upper planar surface and recessformed therein. A revolving disk is arranged with its upper surfaceco-planar with that of the fixed plate and having a feed channelextending from its lower surface to the upper surface, in a directiontoward the periphery of the disk. A first endless linear conveyor havinga width at least equal to the diameter of the revolving disk is mountedabove the base plate to gravitationally rest with its front end on theupper surface of the base plate. The first linear conveyor moves acrossthe revolving disk to cooperate therewith to receive the yarn and forman endless series of loops in the space therebetween. The first conveyorextends at least to the peripheral edge of said base plate and at leastin part, above a second linear conveyor extending from the periphery ofthe base plate parallel to the first conveyor to remove the loops.

The apparatus provides a simple and functionally safe form ofconstruction for the formation and delivery of an endless series ofloops, lying successively one below and behind the proceeding loops. Theyarn is looped on the surface of the revolving disk in slack loops, asno additional devices are required for clamping or stretching of theyarn during its feeding to the rotating disk.

Preferably, the apparatus includes a yarn feed device including acompressed air transport so as to feed the yarn to the rotating diskloosely and without stress or tension. The first and second linearconveyors are preferably belt or band conveyors, arranged with theirlines of movement in the same direction and driven at the same speed sothat transfer of the loops from the flat fixed plate to the secondconveyor is made without dislocating the relative orientation of theseries of loops.

Full details of the present invention are set forth in the followingdescription and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a yarn looping and delivering apparatusincorporating the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is an enlarged section of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The apparatus embodying the present invention, as illustrated in FIGS. 1and 2, comprises a fixed base plate 1, forming a flat table surface, arotating or revolving disk 2, the upper surface of which forms a loopingsurface 27, a cooperating first linear conveyor 6 and a second linearconveyor 12 for the removal of the formed loops.

Located below the fixed base plate 1 is a drive unit 13, a bearinghousing 14, a yarn feed device 15 having a yarn drive 39 and an airtransport device 17. The revolving disk 2, rotatable about an axis 18,is arranged in a circular recess 19 formed in the fixed base plate 1,and is mounted at the end of a hollow drive shaft 20, coupled to thedrive unit 13. Journalled below the drive unit 13 itself is the bearinghousing 14, at the upper end of which is arranged a braking and couplingassembly 21. A helically curved hollow tube 23 extends from the innerbore 22 of the hollow drive shaft 20 above the drive unit 13, to windabout the drive shaft 20 and enter, via the lower surface 24 of therevolving disk 2, into a channel 25, passing through the revolving disk2. The channel 25 passes angularly toward the periphery of the disk 2,to open at 26 on the upper surface 27 of the revolving disk 2. Thehollow drive shaft 22, the intermediate piece 23, and the channel 25 inthe disk 2, form part of the overall yarn feed 15.

The cooperating loop forming first linear conveyor 6 consists of anendless circulating belt 7 running over two rollers 8 and 9 having awidth at least equal to the diameter of the revolving disk 2. The entireconveyor 6 is pivotally mounted about the axis 10 of the roller 9 sothat it hangs by its own weight and can be swivelled with respect to thebase plate 1. The roller 9 is provided with a drive gear 30 connected byway of a toothed transmission belt 31 with an intermediate gear 32 whichis driven by a drive gear 33. The drive gear 33 is fixed on the axis ofa roller 34 about which a band 35 forming the second band conveyor 12for removing the loops, is also rotated. This connection ensues that theband 35 and the belt 7 rotate at exactly the same speed. Thisconstruction furthermore assures that the parts of the belts 7 and 35are oriented towards the fixed base plate 1, and run in the samedirection, as shown by the arrows 29 and 36, respectively, i.e. in thesame linear direction.

In referring to the conveyers 6 and 12, repectively, the conveyor 6 issaid to comprise a belt 7, while the conveyor 12 comprises a band 35.These references are for convenience only so as to clearly distinguishbetween the two. It will be apparent that these elements areinterchangeable bands or equivalent endless conveyor means.

The lower run 11 of the belt 7 of the cooperating looping first linearconveyor 6, extends beyond the fixed base plate 1, forming an area 3overlapping the upper run of the band 35 so that the yarn loops 5,formed by cooperation of the belt 7 and the revolving disk 2 aretransferred in the direction 29, 36 from the peripheral edge 37 of thebase plate on to the band 35. In order to permit the yarn loops 5 to beformed between the revolving disk 2 and the lower run 11 of thecooperating first linear conveyor 6, on the one hand, and to becollected one under the other in the area 3, on the other hand, theentire first linear conveyor 6, is pivoted at the axis 10 so as toswivel relative to the base plate 1 to provide a variable space 28between the belt 7 and disk 6 in which the yarn is looped by cooperationof the revolving disk 2 and the linear moving run 11 of the belt 7.

The endless feed yarn 4 is delivered to the looping apparatus, forinstance, from any preceding mechanism, (not shown) in the drawing, onwhich the yarn strand is stretched and tensioned. The yarn 4 is guidedinto a yarn drive 16 by way of conventional guide rollers, tensioningdevice and additional guide rollers (not shown). The yarn drive 16transports the yarn 4 into a guide tube 38 and by way of the deflectionpulley 39, passing through the wall of the guide tube 38, is pushed intothe air intake 40 of a pneumatic feed device 17, the latter then blowingthe yarn 4 tension-free upward through the bore 22 of the hollow driveshaft 20 and through the helical intermediate piece 23 into the channel25 passing through the disk 2. At the upper surface 27 of the revolvingdisk 2, the yarn exits through the hole 26 into the space 28. Since thedisk 2 and thus the hole 26 rotate about the axis 18, the yarn 4 isrolled in a circular shape in the space 28 moving forwardly, at the sametime into the area 3 below the lower run 11 of the belt 7.

As a result of the relative movement between the revolving disk 2 andthe lower run 11 of the belt 7, a series of yarn loops 5 is continuouslyformed and laid out. New loops 5 of the yarn 4 are formed continuouslyby means of the revolving disk 2 and are added (shuffled) below thepreceeding formed loops 5, the first formed loop lying always on top andthe succeedingly formed loops shuffled serial by below each other. Thus,the yarn 4 can be pulled off from its beginning in an upward directionwithout disruption of the succeeding series of the loops, preferablyafter passing through a steaming station or other treatment station, notshown in the drawing.

Depending on the thickness of the yarn 4, the upper continuous conveyor6 is lifted off more or less from the base plate so as to adjust thespace 28 in which the looping occurs. This adjustment is automatic,since the conveyor 6 swivels easily about the axis 10 and falls onlythrough gravitational pull by its own weight. By changing the speed ofrotation of the belt 7, in relation to the speed of the revolving disk2, the staggering or spacing of the individual yarn loops 5 with respectto each other can be controlled, permitting in a simple manner thecreation of optimal conditions for delivery to the band 35 and thesubsequent after-treatment stations.

The lower band conveyor 12 begins in the area of the edge 37 of the baseplate 1 where it receives the yarn loops 5. The loops are transported bythe band 35 as desired, as for example, through the knownafter-treatment station, or stations, such as the steaming installation.The band 35 of the conveyor 12 is driven by a drive mechanism, (notshown in the drawing), but preferably as a part of the after treatmentstation, this drive mechanism acting preferably directly on the roller34 so as to drive the drive gear 33. The belt 7 and band 35,respectively, are guided as slip-free as possible on the rollers 34 and,respectively, 8 and 9 in order to assure synchronized running of thetwo. This arrangement assures that the yarn 4, which is delivered, freeof tension and without stretching to the yarn feed 15 and air transport17, is guided through the rotating disk 22, and is also looped free ofany tension and stretching. The yarn loops 5 formed on the rotating disk2 are laid out stretch-free in the desired shape and at the desiredspacing and even during their transport from the apparatus, the yarnremains free of any additional stress. In addition, the surface of thefixed base plate 1, is provided with a slippery friction free lining,(such as nylon) making sure that the yarn loops 5 can be easily pushedfrom the space 28 on to the band conveyor 12 without resistance.

During the start up of the apparatus, and as long as no loops 5 existbetween the cooperating looping conveyor 6 and the base plate 1, theroller 8 and thus lower run 11, rest on the surface of the base plate 1.The front end of the yarn 4 exiting from the opening 26 onto the surface27 of the revolving disk 2, is immediately held fast between the lowerrun 11 and the surface 27 of the disk 2, as a result of which loops areformed without any additional mechanical aids or manual intervention,due to the rotational movement of the disk 2 and the linear movement ofthe belt 7.

Possible disruptions occurring during the passage of the yarn 4, throughthe apparatus, can be repaired very easily since the entire conveyor 6can be swivelled away from the base plate 1 about the axis 10 andaccumulations of the yarn 4 can he removed in an area without anydifficulty. Even when several devices of this type are arranged one nextto the other, the operation of each unit will be simplified and theautomatic work process facilitated.

Since the exit opening 26 of the feed channel 25 is located at theperiphery of the revolving disk 2, the yarn 4 enters the space betweenthe disk 2 and the first conveyor 6 from below and is laid out in loops5 on the disk surface. The moving surface of the first conveyor locatedabove the disk, transports the loops with constant speed away from thedisk toward the periphery 37 of the fixed base plate 1 so that acontinuous series of loops are formed. The newly formed loops aredelivered over and over again on the second linear conveyor 12, witheach succeeding loop below the preceding one, causing the beginning ofthe series of loops to stay always on top. The yarn can therefore, bepulled off and removed upward from the second conveyor without anyproblem and with neither yarn entanglement or other disruption.

Initial looping is made possible by the static friction existing betweenthe surface of the first conveyor 6 and the yarn 4 as the yarn movesover the revolving disk 2. Consequently, the lower surface of belt 7must be arranged at a distance from the surface 27 of the revolving disk2 and the base plate 1 in dependence upon the thickness of the yarn 4and the dislocation of the individual loops 5 in the direction ofremoval relative to one another. An advantage of the present inventionis that the apparatus can adjust itself automatically to changes of theyarn thickness and dislocations of the individual loops relative to oneanother, so that the required spacing for optimum looping and transportis effected.

In the event of yarn breaks or other disruptions, it is very simple toremove broken yarn and/or parts stuck in the device. Because the yarn isfed in a straight line into the looping device and is not wound aroundany parts, the first conveyor can be lifted off the loops in a verysimple manner making the later, too, easily accessible. Due to thecompletely automatic start and the simple operation of this device, thelatter can be easily installed in conventional production lines,resulting in considerably easier operations.

Various changes and modifications have been shown and discussed andothers will be obvious to those skilled in this art. Accordingly, it isintended that the present disclosure be taken as illustrative only andnot as limiting of the scope of the present invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. Apparatus for the continuous looping of asubstantially endless yarn, comprising: a substantially horizontal diskrotatable about a generally vertical axis, having a yarn feed channelextending through said disk and opening onto the upper surface thereofin an angular direction toward the periphery of said disk, and anendless moving planar surface mounted above said disk to bearresiliently toward said disk and moving in a direction radially outwardof the periphery of said disk; means for feeding the yarn through saidfeed channel into the space between said rotatable disk and said movingplanar surface, said disk and said planar surface being spaced from eachother to engage said yarn; means for regulating the relative speed ofsaid disk and said moving planar surface to cooperate to form a seriesof successive loops in said yarn, each loop being formed beneath thelast preceding loop such that said formed loops may be directly uncoiledin the order of their formation and conveyor means located at least inpart beneath the radially outward portion of said planar surface onwhich the successive loops are deposited in the arrangement as formed.2. The apparatus according to claim 1, including a fixed base platehaving a recess therein, wherein said rotatable disk is located, saidrotatable disk having a hole therein in alignment with said yarn feedchannel for passage of said yarn and wherein said conveyor meanscomprises an endless band conveyor extending outwardly from the edge ofthe base plate and moving in the same direction and at the same speed asthe moving planar surface.
 3. The apparatus according to claim 2including means for conjointly moving said endless conveyor and saidmoving planar surface.
 4. The apparatus according to claim 2 includingmeans for adjusting the height of said moving planar surface above saiddisk.
 5. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said moving planarsurface comprises an endless belt conveyor extending from and runningradially with respect to said rotatable disk toward the peripheral edgeof said base plate.
 6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein thelower run of said belt conveyor is spaced from the surface of said baseplate and said rotatable disk.
 7. The apparatus according to claim 5,including means for mounting said belt conveyor to swivel about the endextending beyond the edge of the base plate and that the inner end restsloosely on the base plate.
 8. The apparatus according to claim I,wherein the rotatable disk is mounted on the end of an at leastpartially hollow bore drive shaft, that the yarn feed channel extendsfrom the lower side of the disk to an opening of the extreme area of thecircumference of the upper side of the disk, that said channel isconnected by way of an intermediate piece with the bore in the driveshaft and that the bore, intermediate piece and channel form a part of ayarn feed system, including an air nozzle and an air inlet.
 9. Method ofcoiling a continuous yarn into a plurality of loops comprising the stepsof feeding said yarn upwardly through a rotary disk to simultaneouslyengage the upper surface of the disk and a continuous moving surface,pivotally mounted above said disk to bear by its own weight upon thesurface of the disk, the moving surface moving in a radially outwarddirection from the center of the disk and controlling the relative speedof said disk and moving surface so that the engagement of the yarn bythe disk and surface causes the yarn to coil into a successive series ofloops, each succeeding loop being formed beneath the preceding one andreceiving said loops in the successive series so formed and transportingsaid loops away from said disk.
 10. The method according to claim 9including the step of regulating the force by which said upper surfacebears toward said rotating disk to regulate the engagement of said yarntherewith.
 11. The method according to claim 9 including the step ofwithdrawing said yarn coil from between said disk and said movingsurface with said loops in a predetermined overlapping arrangement.